Work vehicles, particularly those used in construction and forestry applications, can include a constant or near constant speed engine. Depending on the desired application, the vehicle input (e.g., engine, motor, etc.) can include finite speed and torque ranges. These vehicles can have a plurality of different configurations and setups which depend on the nature of the vehicle. However, these vehicles also have multi-speed and multi-torque needs for achieving desirable fuel efficiency and performance. Therefore, a multi-ratio, shiftable transmission or the like is required to augment the input drive device and provide an appropriate spectrum of vehicle ground speeds and tractive effort while optimizing efficiency.
With there being a large number of work vehicles in the construction and forestry industries, there can be a unique setup for each vehicle regardless of whether the input drive device is electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, or other known inputs. Depending on the application, each vehicle may have individual ground speed and/or tractive effort requirements as well. As such, individual transmission designs are provided for each vehicular setup. In other words, one transmission design may work for a wheel loader, but not for a motor grader. Likewise, a different transmission design may work for a motor grader, but not for a wheel loader. These designs may have individual parts, either large or small, depending on the size of the vehicle. In many instances, the individual parts differ between the different transmission designs.
A need therefore exists to provide a flexible and scalable multi-ratio transmission that can be adaptable to any known and future vehicle configuration. It is desirable to provide a transmission that can achieve power in and out at the same end, power in and out at different ends, and an input shaft that runs axially through the design for power take-off applications. It is further desirable to provide a transmission that can be coupled to a variety of transfer gear/drive configurations to meet any requirement of a vehicular package. The logic used in any one given design can be used regardless of machine size or configuration.